Clay Busters
- Thread starter bamf
- Start date
I'm just getting started. Right now, I've only shot trap, but would like to try sporting clays. I've shot about 12 rounds of trap so far (not including the 4-5 informal sessions at hunting camp with a hand thrower).
I'm using a Rem 870 Express with a full choke.
I typically score in the high teens (friday was 19, 18, 19).
I shoot whatever is cheapest at Walmart (the $15 per 100shell deals from Federal or Winchester, number 8shot).
yeah, it's a blast
Chris
I'm using a Rem 870 Express with a full choke.
I typically score in the high teens (friday was 19, 18, 19).
I shoot whatever is cheapest at Walmart (the $15 per 100shell deals from Federal or Winchester, number 8shot).
yeah, it's a blast
Chris
Current games:
FITASC - Challenging and fun!
5- Stand - Ditto, if set hard enough.
Sporting Clays - I enjoy "hard" courses that test the skill of the shooter. Soft "feel good" courses are OK for working on your concentration if you use a very tight choke.
Sheet - To work on form and fundamentals.
Trap - To work on my concentration.
Favorite Gun - Beretta 390 that "fits", 30" bbl, Angleported with lengthened forcing cone.
Favorite Loads - For competition, I like Federal Gold Medal Paper, 3 dram 1 1/8 ounce, #8 or #7.5 shot. Walmart "Multi-Purpose Loads" 4 packs are great practice ammo, and a heck of a bargain.
Bud
FITASC - Challenging and fun!
5- Stand - Ditto, if set hard enough.
Sporting Clays - I enjoy "hard" courses that test the skill of the shooter. Soft "feel good" courses are OK for working on your concentration if you use a very tight choke.
Sheet - To work on form and fundamentals.
Trap - To work on my concentration.
Favorite Gun - Beretta 390 that "fits", 30" bbl, Angleported with lengthened forcing cone.
Favorite Loads - For competition, I like Federal Gold Medal Paper, 3 dram 1 1/8 ounce, #8 or #7.5 shot. Walmart "Multi-Purpose Loads" 4 packs are great practice ammo, and a heck of a bargain.
Bud
I'm just getting into it, and have yet to shoot a real clay range. So far, I've only shot informally. I love it. I can't wait to try it at a range. I generally use my 11/87, but love givin' the ol' single-shot .410 a whirl for an extra challenge. I also just got an 870 to practice with a pump. Wal-Mart around here has 25 rds of high velocity, multi-purpose shells for $3 a pop. They've worked fine for me.
Jorah Lavin
New member
Count me as another happy newbie
I've shot twice now... once we did ten shots using a spring-loaded thrower, then two months later (yesterday) we shot (trap I think, or maybe 5-stand? not sure) 25 rounds... I hit 13 out of 25 and had so much fun that I bought a cheap pump so I could play more often.
Wow. Can't believe I've been ignoring shotguns all this time.
The range I belong to just bought a fancy machine to throw the clays out there, with a remote control. The thing is on wheels so they can roll it into the shed.
The gas station where I get most of my gas has a stack of 12 ga at $3 a box, with a NASCAR driver's name on them... they seem to work fine, and I'm probably going to make a dent in that stack.
Now... how do I get better?
-J.
I've shot twice now... once we did ten shots using a spring-loaded thrower, then two months later (yesterday) we shot (trap I think, or maybe 5-stand? not sure) 25 rounds... I hit 13 out of 25 and had so much fun that I bought a cheap pump so I could play more often.
Wow. Can't believe I've been ignoring shotguns all this time.
The range I belong to just bought a fancy machine to throw the clays out there, with a remote control. The thing is on wheels so they can roll it into the shed.
The gas station where I get most of my gas has a stack of 12 ga at $3 a box, with a NASCAR driver's name on them... they seem to work fine, and I'm probably going to make a dent in that stack.
Now... how do I get better?
-J.
Jorah Lavin
New member
BTW, are what is etiqutte for how to hold the gun at the ready?
What is the "stance" that is most accepted? Guys were standing every which way... gun more or less down by the hip, others all the way up on the shoulder and already looking along the barrel... and every pose in between.
What is the "stance" that is most accepted? Guys were standing every which way... gun more or less down by the hip, others all the way up on the shoulder and already looking along the barrel... and every pose in between.
Chuck Graber
New member
I have been shooting Sporting Clays for about 10 years and Skeet for almost that long. Sporting is the most fun for me. Like Bud said I like to use Skeet for working on the fundamentals of shooting. I shoot an unmounted gun for both games. My stance is generally with the guns' butt at the bottom of my rib cage.
My favorite gun is a Beretta 682 Gold Sporting with 30" bbls. My second choice would be a Beretta 391 Sporting with 28" bbls.
I reload and use Win AA, W209, Claybusters CB1100, Hodgdon Clays, and 1 oz. of hard shot. It does the job when I do mine.
Chuck Graber
My favorite gun is a Beretta 682 Gold Sporting with 30" bbls. My second choice would be a Beretta 391 Sporting with 28" bbls.
I reload and use Win AA, W209, Claybusters CB1100, Hodgdon Clays, and 1 oz. of hard shot. It does the job when I do mine.
Chuck Graber
Adamantium
New member
Jorah, for trap and skeet I believe most people start with the gun mounted on the shoulder, but keep thier cheek a off the stock and both eyes open. Some people shoot with both eyes open also, but I never have been able to because I'm left eye and right hand dominant and never have been able to shoot very well left handed for some reason. If I keep my left eye open I see 2 pigeons and 2 muzzles, which is quite annoying. But if you can shoot with both eyes open then the power to you.
For sporting clays the rules say that you can't have your gun mounted when you call for the bird, so they don't. I'm not sure if most keep thier stock just tucked under thier arm or free from the body though.
That ammo is also remington promo ammo if I am not mistaken. And at $3 a box I'd mak a dent in it also if I didn't own reloading press
. http://www.remington.com/ammo/shotshell/hispeed_dej.htm
Sincerely,
Adam
For sporting clays the rules say that you can't have your gun mounted when you call for the bird, so they don't. I'm not sure if most keep thier stock just tucked under thier arm or free from the body though.
That ammo is also remington promo ammo if I am not mistaken. And at $3 a box I'd mak a dent in it also if I didn't own reloading press
. http://www.remington.com/ammo/shotshell/hispeed_dej.htmSincerely,
Adam
Heavy clay shooting is a recent hobby for me,I planned on doing it when I retired, and so it happened. About 5000 rounds of ammo last year for trap. Shot a little 5 stand and SC, but since I was focussed on seeing how far I could take trap, that's been the main event.
I shoot 870s, of course, and modify the stocks to fit. And Chuck. you stole that reload recipe from me(G). Here's the whole thing....
AA hull
W209 primer
Claybuster clone of the WAA 12 SL wad
16.5 gr of Clays.
Oz of West Coast shot
I use 8 1/2 shot for everything back to the 20 yard line.7 1/2 for winter and handicap, tho I don't shoot much of that. Love trap doubles...
A coupla things for clay tyros....
Nothing speeds up the learning process like a good coach. Not all good shooters are good coaches.Bad coaches just teach you to repeat their mistakes.
A well worn library card is a wonderful tool. Clay game books come under 799 in the Dewey system. Jerry Meyer's clay target handbook gives great overviews, and lots of tips. Brister's "Shotgunning" is a bit old, but still a great resource on things shotgun.
Think safety at all times, or be ready to get cussed out regularly, maybe thrown out besides.
When on the line for all games, load when it's your turn, keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction, and keep your fingers out of the trigger guard until it's your turn.
For upland hunting, I like a shotgun of 7 lbs or less in weight, 7 1/2 for a waterfowler 12 gauge.
But in target guns, I want mo' poundage. At least
8 lbs, a bit muzzle heavy, and with some inertia to keep the swing going. Add a little weight temporarily to your field gun if needed.There's some old threads here on how and how much.
As for stance...
Hold your shotgun while facing down range. Advance your left foot(For RH shotgunners) a bit and keep your weight centered. Have your shotgun pointed downrange with your hands in operating position,not at port arms. Bring the weapon up to the mounted position, and not your face down to the weapon.Your right elbow should be up. As you do so, shift your balance forward a little.
What differs in the games is as to when you do the mount. Trap and Skeet are premounted, 5 stand and SC are not, usually.
HTH...
I shoot 870s, of course, and modify the stocks to fit. And Chuck. you stole that reload recipe from me(G). Here's the whole thing....
AA hull
W209 primer
Claybuster clone of the WAA 12 SL wad
16.5 gr of Clays.
Oz of West Coast shot
I use 8 1/2 shot for everything back to the 20 yard line.7 1/2 for winter and handicap, tho I don't shoot much of that. Love trap doubles...
A coupla things for clay tyros....
Nothing speeds up the learning process like a good coach. Not all good shooters are good coaches.Bad coaches just teach you to repeat their mistakes.
A well worn library card is a wonderful tool. Clay game books come under 799 in the Dewey system. Jerry Meyer's clay target handbook gives great overviews, and lots of tips. Brister's "Shotgunning" is a bit old, but still a great resource on things shotgun.
Think safety at all times, or be ready to get cussed out regularly, maybe thrown out besides.
When on the line for all games, load when it's your turn, keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction, and keep your fingers out of the trigger guard until it's your turn.
For upland hunting, I like a shotgun of 7 lbs or less in weight, 7 1/2 for a waterfowler 12 gauge.
But in target guns, I want mo' poundage. At least
8 lbs, a bit muzzle heavy, and with some inertia to keep the swing going. Add a little weight temporarily to your field gun if needed.There's some old threads here on how and how much.
As for stance...
Hold your shotgun while facing down range. Advance your left foot(For RH shotgunners) a bit and keep your weight centered. Have your shotgun pointed downrange with your hands in operating position,not at port arms. Bring the weapon up to the mounted position, and not your face down to the weapon.Your right elbow should be up. As you do so, shift your balance forward a little.
What differs in the games is as to when you do the mount. Trap and Skeet are premounted, 5 stand and SC are not, usually.
HTH...
Jorah Lavin
New member
Dave McC, et alia, thanks for the tips
I'll be off to the library tomorrow. I want to break those damned clays!
I'll be off to the library tomorrow. I want to break those damned clays!
Adam, you should really learn to shoot shotgun with both eyes open. It makes it so much easier to hit doubles and keep track of everything going on out there.
I have cross eyed dominance problems and started using a optic fiber site made by Easyhit where you can see a red or green dot with the eye looking down the rib of the shotgun but not with the nonshooting eye. It has upped my scores nicely over the past few months..check them out here.
I have cross eyed dominance problems and started using a optic fiber site made by Easyhit where you can see a red or green dot with the eye looking down the rib of the shotgun but not with the nonshooting eye. It has upped my scores nicely over the past few months..check them out here.